Practiced, prepared, checked out, refilled, and inspected – the Starliner team is proceeding through checklists to be ready for return when a date is chosen. They spent Tuesday practicing for undocking during an integrated simulation with the International Space Station. Teams occupied their consoles in the Mission Control Center in Houston and in Boeing’s Mission Control Center (BMCC) at Kennedy Space Center. Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams monitored the “sim” from space. Starliner-1 crew members Commander Scott Tingle and Pilot Mike Fincke took part in the practice from the Boeing Mission Simulator, while Canadian Space Agency astronaut Josh Kutryk was on-console in Houston.
On Sunday, the Starliner and NASA teams worked together in Boeing’s Avionics and Software Integration Lab (ASIL) to develop, test, and deliver updated data parameters for potential returns throughout August. That included a Propulsion Quantity Mission Data Load to update the fuel quantity on board Calypso. The crew also entered their spacecraft Monday to refill its water systems and to pressure check their spacesuits. A standard operation before crew departure includes an exterior inspection of Starliner, as well. The crew completed that task by using the Canadarm outside the space station.